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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27336625">Opaque Eyes</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kanako_Hime/pseuds/Kanako_Hime'>Kanako_Hime</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Crystalline Dreams [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon | Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon, Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon | Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon (Anime &amp; Manga)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe, Black Moon Take-Over, Esmeraude is crazy, Neutral Wiseman, Royalty</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 23:54:51</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>15,190</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27336625</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kanako_Hime/pseuds/Kanako_Hime</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>How Prince Diamond fell in love. AU.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Crystalline Dreams [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1996027</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
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        <p>Bored violet eyes took in the latest haul in front of him. Ever since their clan had been victorious and claimed the Earth (and the ethereal Palace of marble and crystal), the dregs of human society had taken the opportunity to emerge from the shadows and bring back practises long banished under the White Moon Clan. Such as the practise of slavery. Sapphire and Rubeus chose several of the stronger-looking ones - there were always more soldiers needed to expand their borders and defend the realm - while the four Ayakashi Sisters chose some females as maid-servants for themselves.</p>
        <p></p>
        <div class="xcontrast_txt xlight">
          <p>Presumably, they'd last as long as the previous ones, he mused, taking a sip of his wine.</p>
          <p>A flash of ivory-white hair caught his eye as the trader yanked a bedraggled-looking girl from the bunch. <em>No-one had hair like his.</em> She was plain compared to the beauties of his court, but when fiery amber eyes met his, his interest was piqued.</p>
          <p>"Has one of them caught your eye, Highness?" Wiseman asked quietly.</p>
          <p>"The girl," he replied almost lazily, taking another sip of wine. "With the white hair."</p>
          <p>His adviser observed the girl with a critical eye. "If she were cleaned up, she would be quite presentable," he said neutrally. "Shall I make the arrangements?"</p>
          <p>Diamond waved a lazy hand, and Wiseman bent his head in deference to his king's wishes.</p>
          <hr/>
          <p>They met properly in his study, a room that had once belonged to that loathsome Prince Endymion, and overlooked the palace training grounds. Diamond took a spiteful, childish glee that he had usurped the bratty prince from his birth-right and condemned him to the cold embrace of the cosmos, to never again feel the sun on his face or a fresh breeze through his hair.</p>
          <p>He took a sip of wine as his eyes swept over her, focusing once more on the task at hand.</p>
          <p>"Do you understand everything I require of you?" he asked.</p>
          <p>"Yes, my prince," she replied frigidly.</p>
          <p>"Work hard to please me," he continued, ignoring her icy demeanour. "And you shall want for nothing."</p>
          <p>"Except freedom. I will still be a trapped animal in the menagerie you call a court, <em>my lord.</em>"</p>
          <p>"You will soon understand-"</p>
          <p>"I <em>understand</em> well enough." The ice had been replaced by fire, he noted with some amusement. "And I have <em>no</em> desire to live with a target on my back because I am your whore."</p>
          <p>"Such a vulgar word," he tsked.</p>
          <p>"Whore, concubine, mistress." She laughed harshly, and the sound caused a strange swooping sensation in his stomach. "They all mean the same thing, in the end. I am to please you in whatever manner you so desire. Untouchable in the eyes of the court, but lower than any other woman in the eyes of the world."</p>
          <p>"Do you honestly believe that refusing my favour will set you free?" he asked curiously. "Or, perhaps you fear that I will tire of you?"</p>
          <p>"I cannot refuse you," she sighed, hugging her arms to her chest. "You have given me favour far greater than any servant should have. A private room. A garden of my own. Fine food. Exquisite clothing." The sleeve of the violet silk gown she was wearing received a reverent stroke of her fingers - he made note of that; she was clearly unused to luxurious goods. "But you <em>will</em> tire of me. I refuse to become so complacent as to believe that you will never tire of me. I only ask that if you do, one day, will you set me free?"</p>
          <p>Diamond drank her in; immaculately combed hair that fell in lush waves to her hips, a slender wand of a body clothed in his colours, eyes of topaz that watched him with mixed wariness and resignation. So delicate. So strong.</p>
          <p>"When I tire of you," he agreed.</p>
          <p>
            <em>All his.</em>
          </p>
          <hr/>
          <p>She was lonely. She was a slave in a court full of highly-trained, Black Moon servants and courtiers. Once it was clear that she refused to divulge information about herself or carry petitions to the Prince, she had lost her value for the inhabitants. While she preferred the anonymity, she craved for companionship. She sighed and stood up, straightening her skirts. Perhaps some air would clear the cloud of dark thoughts that hung heavy in her mind.</p>
          <p>She stepped out of her room and onto the covered walkway that ran along the back of the palace. The morning sky was clear and blue, and the sunlight was reaching into every corner of the garden to banish the shadows. Diamond was in the garden, as he usually was on these beautiful days, and a gaggle of ostentatiously-dressed and overly-perfumed women followed. She could hear their simpering from across the flower beds. Her fists clenched, hidden in her long sleeves. Diamond and his sycophants wandered towards where she stood, and she curtsied deeply as he approached. He surprised her by pausing.</p>
          <p>"Will you join me tonight after dinner?"</p>
          <p>Her eyes flashed up to study him. His shoulders were tight with tension, his voice was thin, and the day had hardly begun. She nodded slowly. "And before dinner as well, if you wish, my prince," she added impulsively. His eyes brightened marginally.</p>
          <p>"It would," he agreed, before continuing on.</p>
          <p>She watched as his frame was fraught with tension once more as he was plied with questions and flattery. A thought struck her, shaking her carefully constructed beliefs about the dispassionate, unyielding prince to the core.</p>
          <p>Maybe he was lonely, too.</p>
          <hr/>
          <p>He wasn't surprised to find her mingling with the human servants in one of the inner courtyards one morning. Her beautiful voice was lost among the servants' as they sang together, but she was laughing again, and her cheeks were pink with happiness.</p>
          <p>"What is it like to be the Prince's mistress?" came the inevitable question from one of the nosier matrons.</p>
          <p>"It's fine," she replied with a polite smile as they wove baskets. "He treats me well."</p>
          <p>"And what does he get in return?" asked a younger maid, leaning forward with a suggestive lift of her eyebrow.</p>
          <p>"Guard your tongue," she warned, her eyes darkening to chips of sphalerite. "He is not cruel. He would never hurt me. He hasn't laid a finger on me."</p>
          <p>"They don't care about anything but power," said one of the crones in a sage manner. "Least of all, some temporary amusement."</p>
          <p>"I did think that, but-"</p>
          <p>"Does he even know your name?" interrupted another. He watched her blush.</p>
          <p>"I don't know," she admitted.</p>
        </div>
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<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
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          <p>There was no sound, no light in the room, save the dim light of the stars through the window. For her to remain a secret, to remain hidden from Emerald and her over-zealous family as they made yet another bid to make her his Queen, <em>she</em> had to be more than just protected. She had to be invisible. Emerald was known for her jealous rages, and he would not let such a rare creature fall into the obnoxious woman's hands. So her voice would not be heard throughout the palace, but at least he had these moments with her. To have her with him alone was intoxicating.</p>
          <p>He crossed the room in bare feet and settled down in what was becoming his customary chair, staring at the painted screen in front of him. He draped an arm over the arm rest and cleared his throat. "Are you still awake?"</p>
          <p>There was a swish of fabric and a soft breath.</p>
          <p>"Yes," came the sleepy reply. </p>
          <p>"Are you well?" he asked as she sat up in her cot, facing the screen that separated them. A screen that he had placed there to ease her mind during her impromptu stay that he would not violate her privacy. "Do you have everything that you need?"</p>
          <p>"Yes, my prince," she replied. "But I wish I could leave this room. I haven't been outside in nearly a month."</p>
          <p>"Emerald and her family leave in a days' time. I'll not be asking them to extend their visit."</p>
          <p>"I hear people out in the garden sometimes," she said, her voice cautious. "They say that the visitors have cast a spell over the castle, that there's a dark cloud over us."</p>
          <p>He scoffed. "That's the feeling that Emerald creates wherever she goes. Don't listen to meaningless gossip."</p>
          <p>"I don't have much else to listen to, my lord," she muttered.</p>
          <p>"That means that the wards are holding," he said. "Things would grow very interesting, very quickly if you left my chambers. But, for now, they do not even know you're in the palace."</p>
          <p>"You don't believe that," she said with such certainty it made him shiver. "Servants talk, sire. Someone has said something."</p>
          <p>"They don't know <em>where</em> you are, then," he amended.</p>
          <p>"Perhaps." A light sigh came from behind the screen. "So," she continued after a moment, "shall I read to you, my prince?"</p>
          <p>"No, not tonight. It's late," he said. </p>
          <p>"Oh." There was a long pause. "What would you like, my prince?"</p>
          <p>"A moment of peace," he muttered. "A normal conversation that does not include troops or rebels or undue flattery."</p>
          <p>He could hear the smile in her voice. "<em>Only </em>undue flattery?"</p>
          <p>He almost smiled in return. "You know what I mean," he countered with good-humour - a rarity these days while that odious woman resided in his palace. "Perhaps you can tell me about yourself."</p>
          <p>"It's not an interesting story," she replied. Through the screen, he could see her face was turned towards the dimming stars. "I grew up with my brother and sister. We had a guardian who cared for us, but he died when I was very young. I don't remember him very well."</p>
          <p>"What happened to him?"</p>
          <p>"Nothing dramatic," she murmured. "He caught an illness from some travellers and succumbed to the disease. We were cared for by the priestesses after that. We used to clean the temple and work in the fields, the same as anyone else." Her voice caught. "I worry about my family."</p>
          <p>Diamond frowned at the screen, imagining the expression she would have at that moment. It made him uneasy. "Who took you?"</p>
          <p>There was a soft, melancholy sigh. "A human. He heard me singing in the fields and when I foolishly wandered too far from home, he stole me. He sold me for some alcohol and a few rolls of fabric to the trader that you met."</p>
          <p>"Why did he not keep you?" he asked, curiosity roused.</p>
          <p>"I was costing him more money than I was worth," she replied evasively. The comforting words that rose in his throat were so foreign that he had trouble pressing them down again. He was still her captor, after all.</p>
          <p>"I thought you might have had formal training," he said. "In music, or dance, perhaps." There was a pause as she composed herself for his awkward attempt to shift the conversation to safer topics.</p>
          <p>"No, sire," she murmured. "I like both music and dance, but I am not exceptional. My brother is the musician in the family, and my sister sings so sweetly, she lures birds from the trees with her song."</p>
          <p>"They sound talented," he agreed. The sun had started to rise, slowly lighting the room with its rays. An yellow glow surrounded her silhouette, marking out her profile in hazy light. "But don't belittle your own talents, Eos."</p>
          <p>She froze for a moment in surprise.</p>
          <p>"Thank you, my prince," she said, her lips moving into a broad smile that he could hear as well.</p>
          <p>He knew that she was remembering the accusation levelled by the humans - that he did not even know the name of his favoured pet - but he did not mention it. He had been eavesdropping on servants - a most undignified act. But she should know that they could not have been more wrong. He had known her name from the beginning. He would have known it, even if he had never heard it spoken aloud.</p>
          <p>"You should sleep," he said, getting to his feet. "I woke you too early."</p>
          <p>"Thank you," she said again, sleepy but pleased. He promised that he would return soon and made his way across the room once more, but the door snapped open before he could make a quiet escape.</p>
          <p>"Emerald," the prince said, greeting the unwelcome visitor with a glare. "You are not allowed here."</p>
          <p>The woman's dull brown eyes floated over his shoulder to gaze into his room. "Forgive me, Prince Diamond," she replied smoothly. "I lost my way in your grand home."</p>
          <p>"I will personally accompany you back to your quarters, if you wish."</p>
          <p>"Oh, surely I needn't go so far away," she purred, a smile spreading across her face. "Perhaps I may stay a while? Prove you with some...<em>entertainment</em>?"</p>
          <p>"You'll find yourself flung out the window if you try," Diamond snapped, moving forward and pushing out the odious woman before snapping the door closed behind him. "And <em>that</em> is a spectacle that would amuse me greatly." He straightened and pulled the best blank look that he possessed. "Was there something else I could do for you?"</p>
          <p>"Nothing, sire," Emerald replied with a snarl. "I bid you a good morning, Prince Diamond."</p>
          <hr/>
          <p>He appeared in her doorway precisely on time, to find her hurriedly pulling a brush through her hair.</p>
          <p>"I'm almost finished, my prince," she promised from her seat in front of the mirror.</p>
          <p>Stepping into the room, he cast an eye over the bundle in the middle of the floor. "It's just a dinner for the family and close servants," he said. "There's no need to change clothing."</p>
          <p>She stood and pulled a pair of ivory, lacquered combs out of a drawer. He reached down and brushed along one comb's teeth with a finger. They were plain and poorly worked in his eyes - just one of the many accessories that had been brought to her so that she could look presentable in front of the court - but she seemed to enjoy touching their smooth surfaces.</p>
          <p>"Why are you wearing such ornaments?"</p>
          <p>She blinked at him and pulled the light shawl off her shoulders to reveal a golden gown underneath it.</p>
          <p>"This is a family dinner for your cousin, isn't it?" she asked. "For his recent victory in the south?"</p>
          <p>"This is for him?" he asked, trying to keep his voice cool. "Rubeus doesn't care about finery."</p>
          <p>"But you do," she said. "I only wanted to represent <em>you</em> adequately."</p>
          <p>He swallowed, instantly feeling like a fool. </p>
          <p>"You represent me well, regardless of what you wear," he murmured, earning himself a small smile and blush.</p>
          <p><em>Perhaps better than I deserve,</em> he added silently.</p>
          <hr/>
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            <p>He ran into her in the crystal garden one evening, sitting where two brooks joined to form a miniature waterfall. He beckoned to her as Wiseman ushered the others in his retinue away.</p>
            <p>"Come."</p>
            <p>She stood and followed him up the smooth, marble pathway that someone, long ago, had laid lovingly for the King and Queen of the Earth. Their footsteps drowned out the sound of the brook babbling beside them, and Diamond eventually stopped at the large, ornate fountain in the centre of the gardens.</p>
            <p>"Rubeus is at the border leading into Europe. The White Moon tries to claim this," he said, gesturing to the serene orb in the sky, "but it will be mine."</p>
            <p>"Why? You already control most of the planet, and I know that you don't enjoy the amount of duties you already have."</p>
            <p>"Enjoying something is different than needing it," he said. "You understand that."</p>
            <p>She had never seen surrender in his features before, but meeting his eyes, she knew what it meant. He was suddenly so <em>very</em> close to her, and his lips were warm against hers. His fingertips skimmed the back of her neck, making her shudder under his touch. She sank into him for a moment, daring to lift her hand to brush the line of his jaw, before she pulled away.</p>
            <p>"Don't," she whispered, still close enough to breath in his scent. "Don't make me do this. Please."</p>
            <p>"You'll be well taken care of," he murmured.</p>
            <p>"I already am," Eos answered. "I accept that I'm your slave, and I know that if you command me to bed, I will have to submit. But, please. This isn't fair."</p>
            <p>He drew back, his fingers still in her hair. "I would have you willingly," he said.  She shook her head.</p>
            <p>"Even so, you would grow to think less of me." She paused. "And I of you. I couldn't do it."</p>
            <p>He studied her for a long moment before his hand dropped back to his side. "Go and rest," he said, turning to watch the water bubble in the fountain.</p>
            <p>Eos hesitated.</p>
            <p>"Prince Diamond," she whispered. He didn't move, but she knew she had his attention. "I'm sorry. I desire to be the love of a man, not to be used to sate the lust of a conqueror."</p>
            <p>His eyes widened as she fled.</p>
            <p>It took him almost a full day to wrap his head around it - she had <em>rejected</em> him. The most beautiful and powerful females of his kingdom schemed and plotted to get him in their beds, but this slip of a girl had refused such an honour. It was almost crippling in its implications alone. </p>
            <p>He did not <em>want</em> to need her. But the idea that she had put in his head - the idea of only belonging to and enjoying one other - was more enticing than he would like to admit. He understood why she would want it so badly. He was probably the only one that understood it so well. </p>
            <p>But understanding was not consent, and he was left to wonder if he could piece together what they had had before.</p>
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<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
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    <p>Things were quiet between them. Diamond seemed to be quite calm about her refusal, but she was not fooled into thinking that he was best pleased about it. As the silence stretched on, however, it was too exhausting to try and analyse the silent Prince. She turned her thoughts onto enjoying the sunlight warming her skin as her eyes slid shut. What she would have for dinner. The ambassadors that had arrived earlier in the week. A new scent she wanted to try.</p>
<p>All safe, banal, and completely Diamond-free.</p>
<p>"Where's that uptight prince of yours?" a harsh voice demanded. Her eyes snapped open and locked with a handsome man clad entirely in white, but with dark hair and piercing blue eyes about ten feet away. She stood, crossing her arms across her chest.</p>
<p>"May I ask who you are, sir?" she asked coolly.</p>
<p>His icy eyes narrowed.</p>
<p>"Prince Endymion, the <em>rightful </em>King of Earth."</p>
<p>Oh. Well that put a different spin on the situation, that was for sure.</p>
<hr/>
<p>"You there!" a woman yelled. "How <em>dare</em> you intrude in the inner palace!"</p>
<p>Eos' eyes flickered over to the voice. One of the sister-generals. The youngest, by the looks of her. The rabbit-ear buns in her hair were quite unmistakable. She skidded to a halt a few inches in front of Eos, firmly between her and the stranger.</p>
<p>"Protect the girl, you worthless meat-sacks!" she ordered the dumbstruck guards. "And you! You've got some nerve coming here! You're supposed to be waiting in the throne room for our Prince!" As she raised her twin-swords, Eos stepped out from behind her, wringing her hands.</p>
<p>"Don't fight him, General, it's not worth it," she said quietly. She looked to the intruder. "And you don't have to be so rude, Prince Endymion."</p>
<p>"Who <em>are</em> you?" the Prince asked suspiciously.</p>
<p>"I am Eos." She bowed.</p>
<p>"That does not answer my question," he snapped. "I meant, who are you in this court?"</p>
<p>She shook her head, refusing to touch on her somewhat-questionable status. "I'm just a court lady."</p>
<p>He glanced around the flower-filled courtyard. "I see," he said dryly. "So all court ladies get a private garden of their own? My wife will be delighted to hear that."</p>
<p>"I'm not supposed to be around other men," she admitted, "He won't be very happy, so please, don't start a fight when he arrives - let me talk to him."</p>
<p>"That's up to the bastard," Endymion sniffed. His lips twitched into a smirk. "And up to you, if you think <em>you</em> can stop him."</p>
<p>The words were barely out of his mouth before Diamond dropped from the heavens and landed in the courtyard, a black blade in his hands. Eos' reflexes could not compare to White Prince - he had Endymion pinned to the ground in a moment, his sword against his neck.</p>
<p>"Prince Diamond!"</p>
<p>The Prince's glacial eyes turned to her hands that rested on his sleeve.</p>
<p>She took a shuddering breath and retracted the offending limbs before she dropped to her knees in subservience. "Please, don't. He didn't do anything - he's here as an ambassador, isn't he?"</p>
<p>His teeth ground together as anger battled logic. "Yes, he is," he ground out, releasing the mongrel.</p>
<hr/>
<p>Eos dithered at the edge of the pond with the Lady General as the monarchs eyed each other. Endymion was looking murderous while Diamond seemed ready to slice the other man in half if given the chance. She had no power here - she couldn't <em>make</em> them talk. Even if it hadn't been explained, she was positive Endymion was aware of exactly <em>what </em>her position was in Diamond's court. With a sigh, she stepped in between the pair and played her only remaining card.</p>
<p>"Tea, sires?"</p>
<p>"If it's good," Endymion muttered.</p>
<p>"I only have the best," Diamond replied snidely, stepping back and conjuring up a table with chairs and a tea-set with a wave of his hand. The monarchs remained quiet, shooting hostile glares at each other as Eos prepared the tea. The lack of formality was embarrassing her - she knew that the meeting between the two should be conducted with the proper formalities, but she could do little about it. </p>
<p>"Where did he find you?" Endymion asked. Eos almost dropped her cup.</p>
<p>"Some distance from here," she murmured, glancing back at a sour-looking Diamond. "It's hard to understand."</p>
<p>"I understand perfectly," Endymion said roughly. "He <em>owns</em> you."</p>
<p>"I am not a possession," she muttered hotly. "Besides, I'm free to do as I please. I can paint, dance, sing-"</p>
<p>Endymion hummed. "You sing?"</p>
<p>"Sometimes. I could sing now, if Prince Diamond doesn't oppose it," she suggested, leaning across the table to refill Diamond's drained cup.</p>
<p>"I do," he said flatly. Eos bowed her head, but then Endymion had to open his mouth again.</p>
<p>"Why not?" he questioned. His voice was soft, but the challenge was clear in his eyes. "If she's as good as you say, then there's no issue. If she's bad, then kill her."</p>
<p>Diamond's eyes narrowed into pinpricks. "I don't need <em>you</em> to tell me how to run my court."</p>
<p>"If you knew how to run it, why would <em>I</em> need to point out what you were doing incorrectly?" Endymion replied, crossing his arms with a smug look. Eos watched Diamond anxiously, noticing how his fingers were clenching minutely into the fabric of his sleeves.</p>
<p>"Prince Endymion," she broke in, "Perhaps another time. I haven't been sleeping well lately, and I'm quite tired."</p>
<p>"Fine," the dark Prince muttered.</p>
<p>"And where would this performance take place?" Diamond drawled. "In your <em>wife's</em> palace?"</p>
<p>An uncomfortable silence settled over the group, but the blush that appeared on Endymion's cheeks disappeared as rage sparked in his eyes. Eos felt her palms sweating, so she put down the teapot hurriedly, hoping to prevent another fight.</p>
<p>"Prince Endymion-" </p>
<p>"I know your family," he interrupted, shocking Eos. "Your people have served my wife's family for generations. It's upsetting to find you in such circumstances." His jaw tightened as he glanced back at Prince Diamond. "We will continue this another time." He said nothing else before getting up and disappearing into the gardens.</p>
<p>Eos exhaled through her teeth and turned away to clear away the tea.</p>
<p>"Yes?" she replied irritably when Diamond cleared his throat.</p>
<p>"You will look at me," he said, "and you will explain yourself."</p>
<p>"You first," she retorted, drawing a shocked gasp from the General. Her wrist was suddenly trapped in a vice-like grip, long slender fingers digging into her skin painfully.</p>
<p>"Watch your tongue when you speak to me," he snapped, his eyes like stone as she stared at him in shock. He had never laid a hand on her before - least of all in anger. She had a choice before her - either she could continue to goad and scold a prince already pushed to his limits, or back away. It was shamefully easy to choose the coward's way out. She lowered her gaze and forced her anger to cool.</p>
<p>"He was rude and boorish, but you didn't have to behave the same way. You could have been the bigger person, but you chose to be spiteful and childish," she replied quietly. Her answer was enough to release her, though the marks on her skin remained like a brand - already, they were starting to bruise.</p>
<p>"You will control yourself or find your privileges revoked," he said coldly.</p>
<p>"Yes, my lord," she promised in quiet tones as he walked away.</p>
<hr/>
<p>Diamond stood in the shadows and watched the servants begin to tend their duties as dawn broke. Eos was asleep in her own room. The meeting with the spoiled Earth princeling could only have gone worse if one of them had bled, but it was the confrontation with Eos that had him so unsettled. She had folded so easily in the face of his anger, but the accusation in her eyes had been damning.</p>
<p><em>No</em>, he corrected himself. <em>Not accusation. It was disappointment. </em>She had expected him to behave with decorum, and he had started off by pressing a sword to the bastard's throat when word had reached him that <em>he </em>had approached her without his knowledge. And as satisfying as it had been to have that bastard's life in his hands, he had made a fool of himself by not keeping a cool head. His temper undid her faith in him. She was forcing him to bend rules for her - to change for her. He never made miscalculations, and was often praised for being a cool and clear-headed ruler. But Eos had proven both of those well-known 'facts' as lies within minutes of each other. Lies he told the court, his family.</p>
<p>Himself.</p>
<p><em>I will try again</em>, he decided.</p>
<hr/>
<p>A soft rap on the door of her chambers had Eos turning, half-expecting a summons, but utterly surprised to see the lady general from the other day instead.</p>
<p>"The girl from the gardens," she murmured. "Eos, isn't it?"</p>
<p>She hadn't mentioned the words 'slave' or 'whore', and she gave the general a broad smile in return. "Yes, Lady...?"</p>
<p>"Just Koan, please," she supplied, then shifted awkwardly in the doorway. Eos smiled.</p>
<p>"Why don't you come in and have something to drink?" she offered. With a small answering smile, Koan shut the door and followed her into the room, where a steaming tea-tray was sitting by the window. "Do you know Prince Endymion well?" she asked as she began setting out the cups.</p>
<p>"His wife helped me once," Koan replied vaguely as she settled into a chair.</p>
<p>"Thank you for stepping in the other day," Eos offered, seeing the way the lady general was fidgeting. "Prince Diamond thinks very highly of you."</p>
<p>"I believe the prince thinks highly of you, as well," Koan said with a wry smile. "I think he trusts you, and from what I know of him, he does not trust anyone." Eos hummed, refusing to comment on an item she wasn't so sure of herself. "I came here on the Prince's request," she continued. "He would like to you extend an invitation to Endymion and his wife to discuss a treaty."</p>
<p>"Surely he could contact them on his own?" Eos asked in surprise. Koan shrugged, taking a drink.</p>
<p>"He says that he wants to do things properly this time," she answered. "No fighting. No insults. He believes that with you acting as the go-between, they would be more amiable to the idea than if, for example, I went."</p>
<p>"And you trust him? After the disaster last time?" Eos asked sceptically. Koan nodded firmly, her eyes bright as wood-violets.</p>
<p>"I trust Prince Diamond with my life. And..." She paused.</p>
<p>"And?" </p>
<p>"And he says that you can sing, if it pleases you," she finished.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"What do you think they're talking about?" Eos asked, keeping her eyes on the figures in the pavilion. The two men had been there with an adviser each since midday. It would soon be time for the evening meal. Koan stood a few feet away, seemingly more preoccupied with cleaning her weapons than the women before her.</p>
<p>"They have many matters to discuss," Princess Serenity replied kindly as she took a sip of wine. "They were both children the last time they spoke."</p>
<p>Eos drank in the ethereally beautiful woman with her eyes, her otherworldly grace and poise making the servant feel woefully out of her depth. "Did you ever meet Prince Diamond's mother - she would be your aunt, am I correct?" she asked after a few moments</p>
<p>"Yes, but she died many years before I was born," Serenity replied, twining a lock of sunshine hair around her finger. Eos blinked.</p>
<p>"Before you were <em>born</em>, your highness?"</p>
<p>A small smile flickered over the princess's face. "Diamond is almost two hundred years old."</p>
<p>Eos sat back, her eyes widening. "So old?"</p>
<p>"Endymion is two hundred and nineteen."</p>
<p>"But..." She stopped and bit her lip. Serenity settled her hands in her lap.</p>
<p>"You can speak freely."</p>
<p>"He is a human, isn't he? How is he so old? I thought he would have died before he reached a century," Eos murmured, feeling mortified as she pointed out the obvious sore-spot.</p>
<p>"Yes," Serenity replied calmly. She sighed, a flicker of pain passing over her features. "He should have, but I am selfish. I wanted to keep him with me. We have gifted him with the longevity of my people, but even we don't live forever. For a human, the increased lifespan is unnatural. Even with this gift, he will still die before me."</p>
<p>"What will you do?" she asked quietly.</p>
<p>"What <em>can</em> I do?" the Moon Princess asked rhetorically. "I will treasure every moment I have with my husband, and be content."</p>
<p>"I'm sorry," Eos muttered, her face heating. "I was rude."</p>
<p>"You were not being malicious, so there is nothing to forgive," she replied gently, reaching for her wine again. "And what about you and my cousin?"</p>
<p>"I doubt that the Prince feels a speck of what your husband feels for you, Princess. But it comes down to the same question," she murmured. "What can I do? I'm a servant, a dreg of society. I could never be anything beyond a possession to him, even if I am valued."</p>
<p>"It would be easier if he wasn't a prince," she suggested. Eos looked across at the pavilion again. Even as far away as she was, she could see how regal he was - the same otherworldly grace as the Princess that was both bewitching and belittling. Even in her most private thoughts, Eos could not imagine Diamond as a normal man who worked the fields or traded luxury items. He was too regal, too aloof, too alien to be anything other than a prince. He wouldn't be Diamond if he were a normal man, she decided.</p>
<p>Out loud, she said, "Perhaps. But we would have different problems."</p>
<p>"But you would be together," Serenity reminded her.</p>
<p>"Husbands and wives should spend their lives together," Koan supplied. The younger woman let out a soft sigh.</p>
<p>"Diamond would tire of me long before that," she said.</p>
<p>"Your faith in him is too shallow," Serenity chided mildly, "But you are the one he has to convince of his intentions."</p>
<p>Eos smiled. "I don't think the Prince knows what his intentions are when it comes to me."</p>
<p>Serenity laughed. "How true. Ah, they seem to be finished." The two princes, white and black, were walking down the path towards the women, side by side but with a civil distance between them. As was natural, Eos looked to Diamond first, but his usual mask of bored indifference was in place. "It's comforting to see that they aren't bleeding, at least," Serenity replied drily, getting to her feet.</p>
<p>"Did you discuss about everything you needed to, Prince Diamond?" Kagome asked when the brothers approached.</p>
<p>"That would take eons," Endymion muttered. Serenity went to her husband's side, wrapping a hand in his.</p>
<p>"But it went well?" she intoned firmly. He gave her a flat look, but nodded.</p>
<p>"Well enough," he said. He cleared his throat. "I'm famished. Any chance of some food?"</p>
<p>"Only if my cousin wishes us to stay," Serenity said firmly. "And if Eos and Koan could join us?"</p>
<p>The general and Eos both looked to their lord, awaiting his answer.</p>
<p>"It would be an honour," he murmured, meeting Eos' eyes. "Do you wish to sing?"</p>
<p>She smiled, her eyes warm. "If it pleases you, my prince."</p>
<p>"I have a harp in my room," Koan offered as they made their way back to the palace.</p>
<p>"I cannot play an instrument," Serenity said consideringly. "But perhaps you could accompany Eos and myself?"</p>
<p>Eos ducked her head. "I don't think I could compare to you, Princess."</p>
<p>"Nonsense, it's not a competition," Serenity said with a wave of her hand as she linked arms with the two women. "Let's try, shall we?"</p>
<hr/>
<p>"Eos." Diamond's voice cut through her musings. "Keep up."</p>
<p>She quickened her pace until she caught up with the prince. "My apologies," she murmured. "I was thinking."</p>
<p>He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. "Of?"</p>
<p>"How nice it was to meet your cousin," she said simply. His brow rose.</p>
<p>"Oh?"</p>
<p>"Princess Serenity is very generous and kind," Eos said cheerfully as they walked along the moonlit corridors. "She obviously cares for her husband deeply."</p>
<p>The White Prince remained silent for a moment. "Yes," he agreed. "She seems to have tamed that uncultured husband of hers. It is well that I extended the invitation to both of them."</p>
<p>Her heart shuttered. "<em>Invitation</em>, my Prince?"</p>
<p>"They will visit again in two weeks' time," he replied. "I have...missed that side of the family. It would be agreeable to communicate with them once again."</p>
<p>"It is wonderful that you have decided to see your cousin again," Eos managed, her mouth dry. "I assume you wish to hear another concert?"</p>
<p>He nodded. "I expect to. The entire court shall hear both of you."</p>
<p><em>And judge us both, </em>Eos thought with a bone-weary sigh.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Dinner was done, and the fire was low in the grate as Diamond sat in his armchair. Eos sat near the flames, reading a book by the light from the fire and had remained silent while the Prince sorted through some more pressing paperwork. He had finished a few minutes ago, contenting himself to watching his strange little servant as the fire had illuminated her features. She looked ethereal, hewn from gold and silver like an exotic statue.</p><p>"You must stay indoors from the rain tomorrow," she murmured suddenly, startling him. He sat up, reaching for his glass of wine.</p><p>"It's going to rain tomorrow?" he said doubtfully. There wasn't a cloud in the sky, the heavens filled with stars. He'd planned to inspect the army the next day.</p><p>"Yes." Her eyes were glowing, bright burning flames that entranced the prince. "You would catch a chill, and this would be a poor time to fall ill."</p><p>He stayed silent, transfixed, as her head fell forward before she straightened, her eyes bleary and confused. "Is something wrong, my prince?" she asked confusedly. Apparently, she had no memory of what had just transpired. Filing that away, he lifted up a letter he'd received.</p><p>"Emerald has been attack towns west of here," he murmured, resting his wrist atop the arm of the chair. "Apparently, my latest refusal to marry her has tipped her sanity. It must be dealt with immediately." His fist clenched the letter, the paper crumpling instantly. "I should leave you somewhere safe until it is over."</p><p>"Wouldn't I be safer with you?"</p><p>The surprise in his eyes was momentary. "Possibly," he drawled. "It depends on whether Emerald is looking for a reaction or looking for blood."</p><p>She studied him with muted amber eyes. "Which one is more dangerous?"</p><p>He downed his wine before standing, the letter in his hands being burned by white flames. "It does not matter," he said icily. "I am not someone to be pushed around so easily." He glanced back at her. "Prepare yourself. We leave at first light."</p><hr/><p>Diamond's silver dragon landed in a courtyard, just inside the military outpost. Two handlers rushed to take the dragon's reins as Eos and Diamond touched ground.</p><p>"You enjoyed that," he observed, taking in her pink cheeks and wide smile.</p><p>"Were my delighted screams too obvious?" she replied with a rare humour. Diamond eyed Sapphire and Rubeus approaching, the latter complaining quietly about his own dragon who (if the stories were true) delighting in tormenting its master.</p><p>"Some don't."</p><p>"It was <em>flying</em>!" Eos emphasised, waving a hand. "It was magnificent! I'd fly everywhere if I could!"</p><p>Diamond cocked his head at her. "Zircon is available to you if you wish," he said slowly, missing the surprised look from his brother. "He rarely gets enough exercise. But it must wait until Emerald is dealt with."</p><p>She gave him a smile. "Naturally," she agreed. She glanced behind him, where a small fleet of people were waiting (at a respectful distance) to speak to Diamond. "I don't expect to see much of you, my prince."</p><p>"I will find time," he murmured. He paused. "And my cousin will be returning soon, so she can keep you company."</p><p>"But..." She hesitated, then shook her head. "They are waiting for you, my prince."</p><p>"Indeed."</p><p>"But..." She paused, thinking carefully. "It was enjoyable entertaining for you, my prince. And the others, of course," she added hastily.</p><p>He looked back at the small crowd - the trappings of a life he despised. If war broke out, it was little chance he would have any time to spend with the rare creature whose company he was coming to crave. Deliberately or not, Emerald would tear apart what Diamond struggled to keep together. He could only hope that Koan would be able to keep her adequately protected when he was occupied elsewhere.</p><p>"I thank you," he murmured, for her ears only.</p><hr/><p>The days passed by drearily. Losing Diamond's presence made Eos feel disjointed, almost as though she were wandering in a fog, half-blind. Each time she saw him surrounded by advisers, courtiers, soldiers, when she walked in the gardens, her heart would ache. Her time spent with Koan and Princess Serenity was almost enough to make her forget. But not quite.</p><p>They finally met in a corridor, by chance.</p><p>"Prince Diamond," she greeted, a touch breathless.</p><p>"Will you sing tonight?" he asked.</p><p>"Of course," she agreed, hope leaping in her breast. "Where?"</p><p>"The ballroom," he decreed, "You will be performing with my cousin and Koan."</p><hr/><p>"Oh wow. He <em>really </em>likes you," Koan murmured, studying the gift Diamond had given to his slave for the night's performance with reverent eyes. Serenity brushed her fingers over the petal-soft, fabric and the beautiful accessories that accompanied it.</p><p>"Yes, he's very generous," the princess agreed, surprised.</p><p>"I've never worn one with so many layers," Eos said fretfully.</p><p>"We can help," Koan offered, and the princess nodded in agreement. "Perhaps this'll finally give him the kick he needs." She paused and glanced at Eos, who was frowning. "What's wrong?"</p><p>"I don't want it," she admitted with a shake of her head. Serenity watched her with calm eyes.</p><p>"You want to be free."</p><p>"One way or another," Eos agreed. "Will you help me?"</p><p>Koan and Serenity locked eyes with each other for a moment, before the general turned back with a gentle smile.</p><p>"Of course," she said. "What do you want me to do?"</p><p>Eos smiled and held up a sleeve. </p><p>"You wear it."</p><hr/><p>"He's not going to like this."</p><p>Koan turned to see Sapphire walking down the corridor towards her, and she hurriedly forced the feeling of girlish glee away.</p><p>"Eos insisted," she said, smoothing her hands over the priceless silk that had been chosen to adorn the servant girl. It was difficult not to revel in it - she had never worn something so feminine. But Sapphire appeared disapproving. The dark prince circled her once before stopping in front of her.</p><p>"What's she up to?"</p><p>The general took a deep breath. "I'm not sure," she hedged, "but she believes it will make her happy. One way or another, she wants to be free."</p><p>"And you're helping," he concluded with a sigh. "You shouldn't get mixed up in this, Koan. He's not one to be crossed."</p><p>"But don't you believe he cares for her?"</p><p>The prince frowned and reached out a gloved hand to touch her sleeve - a long, sweeping swath of fabric, richly embroidered with gold thread. "I think that if he really knew what he felt for her, this isn't what he would be giving to her to wear," he said. He paused. "But that doesn't mean you should be wearing it."</p><p>She drew away from him, annoyed. "It wasn't like it was forced on me, Sapphire," she murmured, lowering her eyes. "I rarely enjoy such finery."</p><p>He swallowed and glanced away. "I know," he said before clearing his throat. "Would she marry him?"</p><p>"If she believed he actually loved her."</p><p>Something unreadable flickered on the prince's face. "But why is she leaving?"</p><p>"She's suffocating," she said. "She's here as a slave, not of her own free will. Maybe by leaving, she'll realise that she's supposed to be here, with us. With him."</p><p>"Or maybe she'll be drunk on her freedom and never return," he muttered.</p><p>"That's true. But it's her choice."</p><p>He stepped closer to her again. "That's true," he echoed, reaching up and wrapping a strand of her long, midnight-blue hair around a gloved finger. "Which is why I'm choosing to say that you look radiant, tonight and always," he said softly.</p><p>Koan blushed, her eyes sparkling with warmth and promise. "Tell me," he muttered. "How can I help?"</p><hr/><p>Eos slowly brushed her hair as Serenity laid out a different outfit - a gown of light grey and plain ornaments for her hair - where Diamond's gift had sat only minutes before. Dread trickled through her veins like poison.</p><p>Her resolution had been wavering for months. Every argument she had with herself boiled down to one fact - she could not be his possession a moment longer. She had been suffocating since she arrived, and it would kill her eventually. The moment she had laid eyes on his gift, she <em>knew</em>. If he dressed her as he pleased, there would be nothing to stop him. Soon, she would be living for his word alone, and she would be lost.</p><p>However, leaving wouldn't be painless. Even at the eleventh hour, she still didn't know if she could do it, despite the consequences of staying. She prayed to whatever higher power that he would not touch her - or say her name in that soft, gentle way - or promise her the stars when it would be a lie.</p><p>That would kill her too.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter 6</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>She had denied him. <em>Again</em>.</p><p>Koan - his trusted General - wore the gift he had intended to adorn Eos. Koan shimmered in the white, violet and gold robes, drawing lustful glances from the men and sighs of envy from the women. As he had hoped, a pretty girl had been transformed into a goddess - but it was the <em>wrong girl</em> who drew the court's eye.</p><p>Almost tucked away from sight beside his cousin, Eos wore a drab gown that seemed to fade into the background, and seemed unable to meet his eye. He was furious with her - she had chosen to ignore the meaning behind the dress and insisted on keeping him out. He had asked nothing of her this time - <em>nothing</em>. But still she rejected him.</p><p>"Cousin, we would be most pleased to perform for you," Serenity said in a calm, clear voice, even as Koan's eyes flickered to the silent slave. "Will you hear us?"</p><p>Even as he gave his assent, his eyes fixed upon Eos, even as Serenity sang and Koan played. Despite himself, he was scrutinising her for some form of regret, repentance - something to show that she was sorry for the actions she took. While he was loathe to admit such weakness, if she showed her guilt, his humiliation would become bearable.</p><p>When their song had drawn to an end, Koan had become an instant favourite among the courtiers. He wondered if the thrice-dammed dress was what gave a boost to her popularity, and cursed Eos once he deuced it had. <em>She </em>would be the one being celebrated if she hadn't been so stubborn!</p><p>"A song from our beauties!" came the call.</p><p>Diamond felt a tickle of concern as Eos took her place between Serenity and Koan. Between Koan's brilliance and Serenity's radiance, she looked small, drab and plain, and it struck him that their voices might be just as poor a pairing in the eyes of the court. Serenity's voice was beautiful, measured and even - a result of years of training. But Eos' gentle, sweet and lyrical voice had never been trained - in the large room, she would be overpowered.</p><p>The song lasted a little under three minutes. Eos held her own, more than perhaps Diamond had expected, but the courtiers whispers dammed her. The didn't see her, they saw Koan's vivacious spark, Serenity's grace and elegance, and a woman who lacked due to her lowly status. He could bear it no longer. He stood, and the buzz of voices halted instantly. He could see Wiseman's concern out of the corner of his eye.</p><p>"Ladies," he said, "please continue. I will return momentarily."</p><p>As the door closed behind him, the music began again. He could easily envision Eos disappearing within the crowd and returning to her rooms to hide while Koan enjoyed the attention. He was surprised when he heard footsteps ahead of him on the path, and then she appeared in a patch of moonlight beneath a tree.</p><p>"I was truly so awful?" she said drily as she stepped in front of him.</p><p>"You assume much," he murmured.</p><p>"I thought you'd be livid," she said.</p><p>"Who says I am not?" he replied with a frown, upset that this discussion wasn't taking place somewhere more private. Anyone could come across them and eavesdrop. "Why must you reject me at every opportunity?"</p><p>Her brow rose in defiance. "That dress wasn't 'favour', my prince. It was a trinket to put on your little pet. If, as you say, it was merely a gift, then there should be no problem that I gave it to Koan. If, however, you were ordering me to wear it, you should have been more specific."</p><p>"My favour alone will not protect you in the court!" he snapped. "Now it is Koan who basks in their attention, not you. You threw that opportunity in my face to prove a point - that you hate being a slave? I'm well aware of such - you have reminded me about it countless times since we met!"</p><p>Her cheeks coloured as she crossed her arms. "Who cares what the court thinks of me? I've been here nearly a year, and their opinions mattered as little to me then as it does now."</p><p>"I wish for you to stay." </p><p>"I wish to leave," she murmured.</p><p>"What do you think my answer will be?"</p><p>She rested her eyes on his face, and he got the impression he was being read like a book. "You are many things, but predictable isn't one of them, much to my frustration, prince," she sighed. "I haven't the faintest."</p><p>"Where would you go?"</p><p>"Home," she replied, a hint of longing in her voice. "I've missed my siblings, and they need me."</p><p>"And Emerald?" he asked waspishly. "She is troublesome, and I have been made aware there is an...unhealthy interest in you."</p><p>She took a deep breath. "Prince Sapphire has agreed to escort me as far as I wish." She paused as the White Prince reeled. So that was where his sneaky little brother had been. "He's waiting for me by the southern gate with my things. I only took one dress. It's not valuable, never fret."</p><p>"So, you even coerced my foolish little-"</p><p>"<em>Prince Diamond</em>," she interrupted firmly. He closed his eyes and held his poisonous words in check.</p><p>"Take what you wish. I would not want you to lack for anything," he said. Her eyes widened, the light from the moon likening them to golden pearls from the southern seas.</p><p>"My prince?"</p><p>He was loathe to let her go. He wanted to win. But he also know that even if he did, she had changed him enough that he would do almost anything she asked of him, except the one thing that would get her to stay.</p><p>"You hate it here," he said bitterly, hoping against hope that she would change her mind.</p><p>"Not with you," she whispered, her eyes soft. "It's just-"</p><p>"The <em>circumstances</em> that brought you here," he finished. She sighed.</p><p>"Yes."</p><p>He shook his head. "I bring suffering on my enemies, but not on my subjects, regardless of their station." He stood to the side. "So I free you from such suffering. Go."</p><p>Her lips parted in a soft 'oh' of surprise. "I thought you'd argue with me," she said at last.</p><p>"Would you prefer me to?" he snapped.</p><p>"No!" she said quickly. "I...I want you to understand why. It's important to me, my prince."</p><p>"We have never lacked in understanding each other," he murmured. She smiled faintly at him, taking a few steps along the path that led to freedom. She stopped a hair's breath away. He could smell her perfume.</p><p>"I wish," she said softly, "that it could be different."</p><p>He wanted to reach out and run his hands through the ivory locks. She would accept his touch, lean into it and never leave. He kept his hands still.</p><p>"If I may," she managed, "what it is that prevents us from being different? Is it because I'm a slave?"</p><p>"Yes," he said simply.</p><p>"I see." She took a breath. "That answers that, then."</p><p>He expected flowery words, tears, perhaps a kiss (freely offered), but she inclined her head and stepped past him, moving quietly along the path aided by moonlight. He could turn and watch her leave, but chose to continue along the path in a different direction. Away from her.</p><p><em>I will cut her from my life</em>, he thought to himself, but he lacked the conviction even in his own mind.</p><p>He had a sinking feeling that he would soon come to realise the full enormity of her loss.</p><hr/><p>Oftentimes, Diamond loathed how accurate he could be.</p><p>Life had become dull and monotonous with her departure. Time was sluggish, and even the most simple and mundane of tasks seemed to require herculean effort. Governing his kingdom or even his reconciliation with his cousin failed to soothe his restless nature. What free time he had, he spent in by the fountain in the heart of the garden.</p><p>Diamond was used to loss - growing up on such a harsh, unforgiving world such as Nemesis made a person intimately acquainted with loss and grief, whether it was a bad harvest or the death of a loved one. But she did not fit neatly into one simple category. She was more than a slave, more than a friend (although he could only admit to himself that Sapphire and Rubeus didn't quite count as friends) but not quite his lover. What could someone call their lover that they had never touched, save for one forbidden kiss?</p><p>No matter.</p><p>The water flowed from the top of the fountain to the bowl in a never-ending cycle as he turned the facts over and over in his mind. She would not return. She was where she should be - with her family. Her leaving was a blessing in disguise, as she could have been used as a means to control him. Now, he could slowly erase her from his life and banish her presence from his heart. He would not seek her out; his pride would never allow it.</p><p>It was better to focus such ridiculous spells into something tangible, Someone's blood would cover his blade, making him feel in control of his life again - as if he were the cold White Prince Diamond once more. And he had the perfect candidate in mind.</p><p>
  <em>Emerald.</em>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Chapter 7</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Is this as far as you'll take me?" Eos asked, her eyes fixed nervously on the village that lay just beyond the treeline. Sapphire rolled his eyes.</p><p>"My clan aren't particularly well-liked outside the capital," he muttered, fiddling with his gloves. "There would be less questions asked if you appeared alone, rather than if I escorted you. But why so nervous? I thought you wanted this."</p><p>"Yes," she said slowly, "But I'm not sure if this was the right choice. Things change."</p><p>He sighed, as though he were very put out. "I'll stay until the sun sets."</p><hr/><p>She stepped inside the worn, but well-loved home with her bounty. "I'm back," she called, putting the basket on her arm onto the table. Helios looked up from the book he was reading, a frown settling on his lips.</p><p>"Eos-" he started and she held up a hand.</p><p>"It was my dress to sell and we need to eat," she said in a dull voice. "Where's Hes?"</p><p>Her brother rolled his eyes. "Knowing her, trying to get you a husband and using the gown as a bribe."</p><p>"They're called dowries," she replied through gritted teeth. "Besides, when will Hes get it into her head I don't <em>want</em> to get married? I'll be perfectly fine on my own!"</p><p>"So proud, little sister," he scolded her, although there was no real bite behind the words. "But if you did want to marry someday-"</p><p>"Yes, I know; my purity has been destroyed while I was gone, and that stupid dress was how I'd coerce someone to forgive my sins. I am so <em>sick</em> of Hesperides giving me that stupid lecture."</p><p>Helios put down his book with a sigh. "She means well. She's a rather intense person when she's fixated on something. Besides, she's convinced herself it was her fault you were snatched, and if you make a good marriage, then she will have atoned to you." He leaned across the table and took one of her hands in his. "Sister dear, maybe if you told us what happened to you, it would help?"</p><p>"I don't think so, brother mine," she said lightly, even as she squeezed his hand gratefully. It was much better to be the object of rumours than the confirmed victim of a scandalous relationship. There was much the villagers would take, but that would make them drive out her family.</p><p>"If you did get married, would there be anyone you'd choose?" he asked gently. Diamond appeared in her mind's eye, perfect, beautiful, and as icy cold as the snowy tundras.</p><p>"That would have me?" she said calmly. "Not a soul."</p><hr/><p>"Congratulations, little sister!" Hesperides sang joyfully as she waltzed through the front door. "The head priestess' brother has agreed to marry you!"</p><p>"<em>What?</em>" Eos asked shakily, her body numb with shock. She knew the boy in question - he was kind, and sweet, lacking nothing but endless strength and amethyst eyes. More importantly he did not, and would never, have the power to move her heart.</p><p>"Hermos is a good man," Her brother said carefully, gauging both his sisters' reactions. "but shouldn't it be Eos' choice, Hes? She's returned to us, and you want to send her away again?"</p><p>As her sister spluttered, Eos glanced thoughtfully at the heavy coin purse that rested on the table. She knew why her sister was so delighted, even if she refused to admit it. </p><p>"I am doing it for Eos as much as I am doing it for us!" She protested hotly, her eyes boring holes into her brother. "We will have security, and she will have a good life and be able to finally put all that unpleasant business <em>behind</em> her."</p><p>Eos should have been smiling. Escaping a life of poverty should have been an opportunity to jump at. A marriage connected so highly with the temple of Elysian would raise the family as a whole. Her tarnished reputation would never again be mentioned. And most importantly, it would provide for her family.</p><hr/><p>Diamond was an excellent tactician, when it came to the art of war. Walls weren't an obstruction, weapons were not merely limited to what one could carry. The Black Moon Clan's strength lay primarily in their use of magic and strategy. Growing up as the young prince of the clan, Diamond had enjoyed the challenge; plotting quick, hard strikes that unleashed maximum damage to his foe and with minimum loss to himself. Emerald, on the other hand, seemed to favour long, drawn-out battles with waves of raiding parties to weary the troops and lull them into a false sense of security. </p><p>It was becoming more than an annoyance at this point, and he had been forced to enter the fray himself.</p><p>The heavens had opened and rain had poured down on both sides. Flashes of white light marked Diamond's position as he cut a swathe through the battlefield. He could see blue flames in the direction where he knew Koan and Sapphire were mowing down the enemy troops.</p><p>
  <em>"Why?" he questioned when they came to him with their request.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"It's my duty," Koan replied with forced calm. "We're already short on magic users after the last battle, can you really afford to let me sit this one out?"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"I thought with what had happened-"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"She attacked my sisters; more fool her that she didn't get me along with them," she growled, "That bitch isn't going to survive."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"I never said she would," Diamond hissed. "Justice will be served-"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"So, you shouldn't object to me being there. As a General, it's my duty; as the offended party, it's my right to take a pound of flesh from her before you mete out her punishment."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Annoyed, Diamond turned his attention to his brother. "And why are you here?"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"I'll fight with Koan," his brother muttered, clearly uncomfortable when his brother frowned mightily in disapproval. "Besides, if you die, I inherit the throne, correct?"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>His eyes narrowed to chips of amethyst. "That was the idea."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Well, I'll pass on that, big brother," Sapphire said coolly. "I don't want you to die, and I don't want to be the only one sitting here twiddling my thumbs. I'll fight to make sure that you stay on the throne."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Diamond considered the pair. They couldn't leave camp without being attacked. Knowing Sapphire's impetuousness, he would find a way to escape any guards Diamond sent to guard him to fight anyway. And Koan had a way of bringing out the more stubborn side of his brother's nature. It would, perhaps, be better if they fought where he could keep an eye on them, rather than coming across them on the battlefield.</em>
</p><p><em>"Very well," he agreed.<br/></em><br/>It was the better choice. With Rubeus, Koan, Sapphire, himself and their dragons loose on the field, it had been easier to cut down the mindless hordes that followed Emerald blindly. He wasn't sure if it was hatred of himself or the promises of wealth and power, but there were vast numbers to contend with. Emerald was trying to cover the lack of strategy and training with numbers, but not all of Diamond's forces had been exhausted.</p><p>When Emerald finally appeared, she had that dratted pink fan of hers and was resting on top of her dragon's head as though it were a throne. Diamond eyed it warily - even before she had betrayed them all, her dragon was a particularly viscous beast. "I see only one Ayakashi sister remains," she purred, fluttering her fan in what he supposed was a seductive manner. "Where is the <em>other</em> woman, Diamond?"</p><p>Diamond, atop Zircon, stayed silent.</p><p>"You disappoint me," the venomous woman pouted. "You've fallen, as you foolish cousin did to the spells of humans. They live such short lives, riddled with mistakes." Her eyes narrowed. "It's so <em>easy </em>to snuff them out. Like insects."</p><p>"I find nothing redeeming in needless killing," Diamond said tightly, his nails digging into the skin of his palms and drawing blood. Emerald sneered coldly.</p><p>"Is it just <em>her </em>that you find 'redeeming'?" When he didn't respond, she continued, "And yet she left you. Would you like me to tell you how quickly she became a bride? Would you like the name of the filthy, idiotic peasant who claims her in bed?"</p><hr/><p>
  <em>"You shouldn't have let her go," Sapphire muttered, right after he had returned from escorting Eos back to her home.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"She didn't want to stay," Diamond answered shortly, turning over the page.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"She would have, brother, if you had told her what you feel for her," he countered, more tired then annoyed. "And she's ruined now."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>That caught his attention. "What do you mean?"</em>
</p><p><em>"You might not be familiar with humans, but </em>I<em> am," Sapphire said, collapsing into a soft chair. "A woman appearing after being missing for a year? The gossip-mongers will tear her to pieces. Logically, her family will be forced to </em><em>preserve their reputation and marry her off to some half-decent fellow as soon as he appears. By doing that, she'll be a wife and a mother, instead of the whore."</em></p><hr/><p>Diamond appeared in front of Emerald and sent her flying across the field with a flick of the wrist. "You will be silent," he hissed as Zircon engaged Emerald's dragon. Sapphire and Koan appeared beside him, floating harmlessly on the air currents.</p><p>"She's goading us," Sapphire hissed.</p><p>"With what?" Koan muttered. "Existing?"</p><p>Diamond frowned. "With Eos. She kept speaking of her."</p><p>"Does she have her?" Koan asked, a touch worried.</p><p>"I wouldn't think so," Sapphire guessed. "Her village was surrounded by some pretty strong barriers. It would take a while for either of us to break through, let alone Emerald who's infamous for her lack of magic."</p><p>Koan huffed thoughtfully. "She wants to lure you away from here - most likely into a trap."</p><p>"Easily done. Don't go," Sapphire offered. "If you're not where she wants you, she loses."</p><p>Diamond took a deep breath. "I must," he said. "If I stay, she will be in more danger. She will be brought here, most likely tortured and the trap will still be sprung. All other choices have been taken away."</p><p>Koan smiled faintly. "What do you choose?" </p><p>"<em>She will not touch her</em>," Diamond said darkly. "I will go. Let her spring her pitiful trap, if she dares."</p><hr/><p>Throughout dinner, Hesperides was gushing endlessly about Hermos as a spouse, Eos' duty to family, and how she, Hesperides, had organised the entire thing. It made her head hurt. "Yes sister," she muttered dully when Hesperides stopped.</p><p>It took a moment to realize <em>why</em>.</p><p>"We're under attack!" came a cry. "The barrier has fallen! Run!"</p><p>Her family paled and began to move. Eos smiled and got to her feet, rushing to the door with light step. <em>Diamond</em>, she thought with joy as she pushed open the door.</p><p>She met the mad gleam of dull brown eyes instead.</p><p>"There you are!" Emerald laughed as a large claw reached for Eos.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Chapter 8</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>She yelped in pain as Emerald dragged her from her house, her long fingers buried in snow-white locks.</p><p>"I wonder what he'll do when he sees what I've done?" she snarled, shaking her captive roughly. Eos kept her lips pressed together as she was twisted this way and that, until the witch finally stopped. When her nerves had stopped screaming at her, she opened her mouth.</p><p>"He'll kill you for attacking his people."</p><p>"<em>Will</em> he? I don't think so. I have <em>you</em>, now. And them." Following the pointed finger, Eos finally took note of what looked like bright green spiderwebs cloaking the village, interspersed with soldiers in colours she didn't recognise. Trapped in the long threads were the villagers, quiet and still in their silken traps. With a start, she realised it was Emerald's <em>hair</em> that trapped them. "If he tries to lift a finger against me, he risks their lives as well."</p><p>"He doesn't care," Eos muttered, her mind frantically trying to figure out what to do next.</p><p>"Oh but he <em>does</em>, silly little whore," Emerald laughed. "Did you really think he would slaughter your family and friends in front of your eyes? Not that I would blame him - but if he is so determined to win you back, killing those you care about isn't the best way to go about it, no?"</p><p>She fell silent, momentarily torn until reason took hold. Diamond might have come with decent intentions, but who really knew with him? Despite his lily-white appearance, he had his own sins, his own darkness. His own brand of justice.</p><p>"He <em>will</em> kill you," she said firmly. "And if it comes down to killing them to get to you, he would. And I wouldn't hold it against him."</p><p>Bloodshot eyes glared at her.</p><p>"Take her," Emerald ordered one of his soldiers, before she leaned in with a vicious smile. "We'll see how forgiving you truly are."</p><hr/><p>Sapphire scowled at the clumps of emerald-green spiderwebs that covered the village and the surrounding area. "She seems to have moved to the fields," he muttered. "Nothing there but earth. Nowhere to hide. It means while the soldiers don't have the element of surprise, neither do we."</p><p>"I hardly think we were going to surprise her," Koan said drily.</p><p>"But if she's waiting, where is <em>she</em>?" he asked, glancing at his brother. "I half-expected her to be dangled somewhere in the open, like bait."</p><p>Diamond's eyes flashed. "She's there," he said with quiet firmness.</p><p>"Can you see her?"</p><p>"No, but Emerald relishes taunting her opponents," he said slowly. However, Eos didn't need to be alive for Emerald to mock him.</p><p>"Eos is fine. She's a survivor," Koan said with determination. "If she wasn't, Emerald would lose her leverage."</p><p>Diamond kept his expression neutral. The whole fact that he had come proved to everyone that Eos was more that just a slave to him. But he would not lose control, no matter what happened. Emerald would be eliminated because it was necessary - if Eos survived, it would be a bonus. She had walked away from him, after all.</p><p>"Do we have a plan?" Sapphire asked as his brother crossed his arms.</p><p>"Kill everyone that is not Eos."</p><p>Koan's alarm was palpable - she reached out to grasp at his sleeve. "Or human," she intoned firmly. She and Diamond both glanced down at where her fingers were curled into his silk jacket, and she dropped her hand hastily, but not her plea. "There are no villagers there," she insisted, gesturing to the huts. "So Emerald must have them, with Eos."</p><p>"I will try to restrain myself," Diamond sighed, "but saving them is <em>not </em>my priority. Not even Eos. Emerald will be stopped."</p><p>"That's her aim," she realised. "She wants you to have second thoughts, to shake your resolve. Don't fall into that trap - decide to save her now."</p><p>But Diamond was already moving into the field. He held onto the self-discipline that had been drilled into him and froze his heart. Now, more than ever, he needed both to remain calm, and he steeled his nerve as best as he could. If it came down to a choice between Eos and his kingdom, she would understand his choice. With the sun setting, the valley was bathed in shades of orange and gold. </p><p>"I was beginning to wonder where you were, my prince," Emerald said sweetly, floating in a seated position. "Did I scare you so much that you brought your brother?"</p><p>Diamond ignored the taunt, taking in the surroundings instead and counting the number of soldiers around him.</p><p>"Oh stars, the villagers," he heard Koan whisper. She had been right - they were all there, tangled in the hair that hung over the village. Noting the soldiers by them, he realised they were being used as shields, and an ill-timed attack could kill every single villager. He was certain now that Eos was tucked away among them. It was a clever plan, but flawed.</p><p>"Tell me where she is," he said coldly, "or I will assume you don't have her."</p><p>Emerald's lips twisted into a smirk. "But will you take that chance?" </p><p>"Yes," Diamond countered immediately.</p><p>"But you haven't even heard my terms," she replied silkily, resting her chin on her hand. "The girl lives if you agree." She grinned. "You don't believe me, of course. But she does. And I'll even consider letting some of the vermin live, too. All you have to do is marry <em>me</em>. The more quickly you agree, the more likely you'll be saving your whore's beloved."</p><p>Diamond glared.</p><p>"She'll remember you fondly for it, I'm sure," Emerald added. "Or will you be her captor again and insist that she belongs to you?"</p><p>"Don't listen to the bitch," Sapphire snapped. "Just kill her."</p><p>Emerald cackled. "Oh do try."</p><p>Diamond made his decision. "Sapphire, find her," he whispered. His brother nodded once. "'Leave it to us."</p><p>"Bad. Choice," Emerald snarled as Sapphire and Koan dove towards the soldiers. As she pouted, Diamond lunged for her, his hands glowing an unearthly silvery-blue that was almost instantly batted away by the web of hair Emerald controlled.</p><p>"Oh careful!" she mocked, disappearing as two villagers who were trapped started to sluggishly awaken when their bonds loosened. From the corner of his eye, he could see Koan's signature sapphire-blue flames and he realised how dangerous this would be for everyone soon. He had to be cautious, but decisive - the battle needed to be finished quickly. As if to highlight that, a villager behind him plummeted to the earth, the low moans of pain quietly easing into deathly silence.</p><p>"<em>Accept my terms</em>," Emerald snarled from somewhere in the web.</p><p>"I would rather die," Diamond answered, "then marry you."</p><p>Emerald flickered into existence in front of him, screeching profanities before Diamond struck her with his power, catapulting her back into a wall of villagers. Practically growling with annoyance, Diamond held up a hand and she froze in place, bound by his powers.</p><p>"You. Are. Soft," she hissed, struggling. "And I will correct that."</p><p>He shouldn't have, but Diamond followed the flick of her eyes, up to the sky. Dimly, he heard Sapphire shouting in the background, but the ball that was disintegrating above him demanded his attention. Eos was hanging there, desperately grasping at the vanishing bonds that had held her. She was gagged and bleeding, and her bound hands could do nothing but scrabble for a hold as she dangled above the ground. The heart that he had tried to freeze leapt into his throat, and he foolishly took his eye of the enemy, one of the first rules he had been taught as a child. It was enough for Emerald to break free of her bonds and entrap Diamond in hers, poisonous green hair binding him in place as he tried to leap for the imperilled girl.</p><p>"You will thank me for this," Emerald whispered, wrapping her arms around his shoulders.</p><p>The pressure of the bonds - thin, razor-sharp wires cutting his flesh - felt like nothing when his imagination provided a plea that Eos was most likely screaming in her mind. His control was slipping, and he struggled, determined to break free and <em>rip out Emerald's throat with his teeth</em>. She laughed, the sound grating on his ears.</p><p>"The bonds will only break if I <em>wish</em> them to break," she cackled.</p><p>"Or if <em>I</em> do."</p><p>A blazing golden flame separated the witch and the prince, burning every strand with a sharp whine of protest. Diamond fell as Emerald turned to find a white-haired woman floating behind her, glowing gold as she was surrounded by smoke.</p><p>There was another flash, of gold and silver.</p><p>Diamond's eyes widened just as Emerald's did, when a sword was plunged through the back of the witch's neck. The shining  blade pushed through her throat, right between her collarbones. As Emerald collapsed, her assassin was revealed.</p><p>"Eos," the prince murmured. He stumbled as he tried to rise, belatedly realizing how heavily he was bleeding. His clothes were a dark scarlet instead of gleaming white. "You-"</p><p>A gentle pair of hands caught him as he attempted to rise again. "Sapphire caught me," she said, looking back to where her glowing doppelganger, Sapphire, and Koan were dealing with Emerald. "I know you would have though." She smiled at him.</p><p>"Yes." His brain was still trying to catch up with what he had seen. "How did you..."</p><p>Her smile widened as he faintly noticed the light was starting to dim. "That's my sister," she said. "Now, rest."</p><p>He didn't have much choice.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Chapter 9</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Eos hummed quietly as Koan slept in one bed, and Sapphire dozed fitfully in the other. The temple had opened their doors to all the wounded and the priestesses tended the wounded, though Eos insisted on caring for the Black Moon Clan herself. It suited everyone better.</p><p>She dropped the rag into a fresh bowl of water, wringing it out before letting it rest on Diamond's forehead. "I wish you'd wake up."</p><p>"You don't have to sing for me." The unexpected answer made her jump, even as her heart thrummed with happiness.</p><p>"You're hurt," she said, her fingers ghosting over his bandaged arms. "I suppose I can indulge you until you're well."</p><p>"And beyond that?" he asked unexpectedly. She sucked in a breath.</p><p>"I wish I knew," she admitted.</p><hr/><p>She stood in the middle of the hall, her arms full of food she had fetched for her hungry companions when her fellow villagers converged on her.</p><p>"Get rid of that monster!" one shouted.</p><p>"He's brought death to our door!" said another.</p><p>"What happens when he gets hungry?" a woman shrieked. "What of the children?"</p><p>Eos frowned, rolling her eyes.</p><p>"He was hurt trying to save us," she said in icy-clear tones. "He's not a monster who devours children. Who do you think all this food is for? This temple is neutral ground and you won't harm him, just as he won't harm you. Let me tend to my friends in peace."</p><p>"We never had this sort of trouble <em>before</em>," one of the elders growled.</p><p>A weight draped across her shoulders, and the group took a collective step backwards. Eos looked up into Diamond's face, surprised at his closeness. But when she felt his quick puffs of breath in her ear and his fingers tighten on her shoulder, she realised she was being used as his crutch. He was still too exhausted to move about under his own steam.</p><p>"I'll leave when my business here has concluded," he growled, cowing the villagers.</p><p>"Eos?" Helios emerged from the crowd, looking bewildered. "Is his business with you?"</p><p>She nearly dropped her tray as Diamond narrowed his eyes at him. "And with <em>you</em>," he intoned.</p><hr/><p>Sapphire arched a brow as his brother came back into their room with three people in tow.</p><p>"Brother," he said curiously. "What's this?"</p><p>Something that could have been pain flickered across his brother's face - although Sapphire wasn't sure whether it was from his injuries or the people who stood around Eos as though they were guarding her. "This is Eos' sister," Diamond replied, already irritated with the demanding, bossy woman, "and..." </p><p>"Helios," Eos offered. "He-"</p><p>"These are the men I must negotiate with," he said tightly, as his mouth turned down. Eos sighed quietly, and Sapphire scowled as he stepped closer to his brother.</p><p>"Are you insane?" he hissed. "You're <em>negotiating</em> for her?"</p><p>"This must be settled," Diamond said quietly.</p><p>"Oh?" Sapphire loved his brother, but he really wanted to slug him at that moment. "You know what would help? Ensuring she wants to be with you at all. Does she know what you're here for? How can she be sure you aren't trying to drag her back to the capital as a slave?"</p><p>Diamond blinked, confused. "But I came for her. I saved her."</p><p>Koan joined them, taking pity on the White Prince. "Prince Diamond, women like to be <em>told</em>," she said. "Eos looks upset. Your intentions mightn't be clear to her."</p><p>They glanced back at the girl, who was quietly talking with her sister and the boy. She did indeed look miserable. Sapphire restrained himself from grinning as he could practically hear his brother make a decision.</p><p>"Eos," he said quietly. "We must speak first."</p><p>She smiled at him absently. "Now hold on!" her sister protested, blanching.</p><p>"I think," Sapphire said as he planted himself between his brother and her sister, "That maybe we should leave them to it."</p><p>They stared back at him with a mixture of fear and curiosity.</p><p>"This should be fun," Koan remarked idly.</p><hr/><p>After they arrived in the garden, Eos helped Diamond to a seat before she stood back, clearly uncomfortable. Between the villagers' antics and his injuries, the pair hadn't had an opportunity to discuss anything. In the end, it was she who broke the silence.</p><p>"Thank you for humouring my sister," she murmured. "I know she can be forward, but she just wants the best for me."</p><p>"In her opinion," he replied. She crossed her arms.</p><p>"Yes, people making choices for me seems to be a common theme lately."</p><p>Diamond's jaw tightened. "I am not saying that I have never done so," he said through gritted teeth, "but your freedom does not rest with me."</p><p>Colour spread across her cheeks.</p><p>"You are promised to that simpering boy."</p><p>"He's <em>not</em> simpering," she snapped. "And I'm not 'promised' to anyone! Helios is my brother, for star's sake!"</p><p>"He cannot protect you," Diamond barrelled on.</p><p>"No one can," she said, irritably. "Not even you, prince. What he <em>can </em>do is make sure that I'm not hurt by anyone. He isn't capable of hurting people."</p><p>"Whereas I am?"</p><p>She levelled a chilly gaze at him. "You <em>have</em>," she corrected. Another silence lingered, colder and vibrating with tension. "Are you here to take me back?" she asked eventually.</p><p>"I will not make decisions for you any longer," he replied. "That was why I freed you."</p><p>She sat down on the bench beside him heavily. "Even if I wanted to," she said, "I love my family. They don't deserve to be left picking up the pieces without an explanation, at the least." She glared at him. "I am sure of their love for me, at any rate."</p><p>He narrowed his eyes. "Do you require a declaration of love?"</p><p>"From you?" She rolled her eyes. "No. I don't know if the infamous White Prince could love me. I accept that. I just don't know whether it matters."</p><p>"What do you require?" he asked. She bit her lip.</p><p>"I once told you that I desired to be the love of a man, and not used to sate a conqueror's lust. I wanted you to enjoy having me around for myself, rather than as a pet that came and vanished on command. You have so much pride, my prince, and that is part of what I admire most about you. Don't you need humility to admit that you want a human peasant though? You would never say it if it wasn't true, and I never want to force you into dishonesty. Especially not with yourself." She took a breath. "It's not fair to require anything of you. I couldn't take it anyway."</p><p>He reached out, firmly taking her by the wrists. "What I require of <em>you</em> is to say that you are not promised to anyone," he said, his voice low. "And I <em>require</em> that you not compare my past actions to what you believe your future could be. You would not be happy, Eos."</p><p>"I never said I would," she said softly. "But what do I have to judge you by <em>except</em> your past actions? What do I have to weigh them against? I might not be happy, my prince, but I'd be content."</p><p>His hands loosened. "You do not want me to lie to you or myself," he murmured, "but you trust my word."</p><p>She sighed. "Always have."</p><p>He leaned forward to the curve of her neck, resting his head on her collarbone. "Listen to my word then," he said softly. "Even if you require nothing of me, I give it all. Everything that I am."</p><p>"Diamond," she said, twisting half-heartedly.</p><p>"Do you think I have ever said so much to a woman, regardless of her status?" he asked, and Eos froze. He could feel her pulse thrumming beneath his cheek. "I need you <em>because</em> I love you. I have lived without it for my entire life, and I will not relinquish it."</p><p>She relaxed, her hands resting softly on his elbows. "You enjoy me?"</p><p>He pulled away. "Say what you will of me. I need nothing but your presence, because, yes, it is my one, unblemished joy. Even that I am willing to forfeit for your sake."</p><p>Eos curled her hands around his. "Only my presence?" she murmured. "That's all you want?"</p><p>"What I <em>want</em>," he said drily, "is a different question entirely. I would be satisfied if you returned as not a slave, but as a lady of the court. I will give you a title, if you wish."</p><p>"I don't wish," she said. "Are you really willing to give up so much control for me though?"</p><p>He looked down at her and saw the scepticism still in her eyes. "This isn't a momentary madness," he answered. "It is what I had long decided on giving to you, if you wanted it. I simply did not say it until now. I have never said such things before. It took some time and incessant prodding from certain parties to come to this."</p><p>"Perhaps a little madness from holding it in so long," she suggested with a soft smile. "Beginner's luck, though. You've done wonderfully."</p><p>"You are convinced to look beyond my past errors?"</p><p>She nodded. "Yes. I'll come back with you."</p><p>He squeezed her hands. "Then, I have come to an agreement with the only one whose opinion I sought."</p><p>"It'll be hard to break it to my sister that I'm not staying," she said with a soft breath. "And I'd like to talk to Helios about this as well."</p><p>"You speak with your brother," he agreed. "I'll discuss the matter with your sister."</p><p>She laughed lightly. "<em>Without</em> trying to kill her, Diamond."</p><p>It was the second time she had dropped his title. It felt almost as warm as her touch. "I will not break my word," he replied.</p><hr/>
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<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Chapter 10</h2></a>
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    <p>Helios sat down at the base of a tree and plucked at the grass as Eos tried not to fidget.</p><p>"Brother-"</p><p>"You're leaving with him," he said. She blinked - Diamond had called him a 'simpering boy', but the the look of calm acceptance in his eyes told her that there was more strength in her brother than <em>anyone</em> would have believed.</p><p>"I'm sorry," she murmured and sighed. "You don't deserve to be dealing with my mess."</p><p>He shrugged. "I wanted you to have the chance to live a happy life." He glanced up at her. "A normal life. But we three were never considered 'normal'."</p><p>She knelt in front of him. "It was sweet of you to try to save me, Helios."</p><p>"But you don't need saving," he finished. "It's a good thing. You figured out what you really wanted, right? You'll be content with him?"</p><p>"I think it's a matter of not being happy without him," she confessed. "It's not the same now, even if nothing has changed around me."</p><p>He nodded. "I think you're onto something." He smiled at her. "Perhaps I'll travel. The galaxy is a big place, and Elysian can be suffocating at times."</p><p>"You're too good to me, big brother."</p><p>The young man laughed. "I just want you to be happy, little sister."</p><p>She could answer honestly. "I will."</p><hr/><p>If Diamond had thought that admitting to Eos that he wanted her to stay with him was difficult, convincing her sister to accept it was impossible.</p><p>"My sister knows better than to believe a monster like you," Hesperides sniffed. "She makes <em>smart</em> decisions. And the smart decision is to stay with her family and marry the boy we've picked for her."</p><p>The White Prince resisted the overwhelming urge to suffocate her. "I am the ruler of a kingdom that dwarfs any other territory. There would be no woman in the world with greater standing than Eos would have at my side."</p><p>"With demons! How can having the respect of your clan be better?"</p><p>He didn't even know where to <em>start</em> with that one. "She will be provided with only the finest of everything. She will have her freedom and protection. Eos will want for nothing."</p><p>Unfortunately, the woman was on a roll.</p><p>"And what of us? Her family? Have you even considered the shame this would bring <em>us</em>, loyal servants of the White Moon?" she huffed.</p><p>"Oh, good grief," Sapphire muttered as he rolled his eyes. Diamond, however, narrowed his eyes in consideration.</p><p>"You assume you will receive nothing for her choice of me?" he asked.</p><p>"Well, I..." Hesperides stopped and crossed her arms. "She's my baby sister, after all."</p><p>"I require nothing of you," he said. "Eos would be free to send you anything that you require, to visit you and to receive visits from you in return. And you will have a tie to a powerful kingdom." He took a steadying breath and tried not to grit his teeth. "You could even take up residence in the capital, if you wished."</p><p>"You can't buy us. And as if anyone else in my family would have anything to do with you!" She paused. "<em>But</em>, I suppose that we could part with our beloved Eos, if you did one thing."</p><p>"And what," Diamond asked irritably, "is that?"</p><p>"Marry her!" Hesperides announced gleefully, pointing a slender finger at him.</p><p>Behind him, Sapphire let out a howl of laughter.</p><hr/><p>"You don't have to marry me," Eos said. They stood at the edge of the forest, watching the clouds of smoke billowing over the village as dinners were prepared. "I don't care what my sister said."</p><p>"The rumours will always follow us."</p><p>"As if they never did," she commented wryly before she properly <em>looked </em>at him. "Are you changing your mind?" she asked, her voice trembling ever so slightly.</p><p>"No. I'm just considering."</p><p>"You have me already," she whispered. "<em>I</em> don't demand any more from you, and I don't care what they say." She paused and edged closer to him, reaching out with her fingertips to trace the delicate skin of his wrists and smiling as he gave a tiny shudder in return. "But you said that what you need and what you want were different things."</p><p>He nodded. "I did."</p><p>"And this?" Eos asked, her eyes wide and brilliant. "Is this what you want with me? A former slave?"</p><p>It only took a single nod to send her, laughing, into his arms.</p>
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<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Chapter 11</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The guests were few but honoured. The bride smiled and laughed as the feast was laid out and musicians took their places. And while the groom was quiet and sat stiffly in his formal clothes, a soft touch or a smile from his new wife would cause his shoulders to relax and even a smile to turn up the corners of his mouth.</p><p>Eos wrapped her arm around her husband's as they sat at the long table closest to the newlyweds.</p><p>"It was kind of you to pay for the wedding, Diamond."</p><p>He glanced at the groom.</p><p>"I didn't mind. As my brother, there's little I could deny Sapphire."</p><p>"A year ago, you wouldn't have even allowed such a wedding to take place," she said.</p><p>"A year ago," he countered, "you had not yet forced me to-"</p><p>"Admit that good people can be found anywhere?" she interrupted. He gave her a scowl, which made her laugh. "It's a lot to change in a year," she said. "You <em>didn't</em> have to do this, but I'm glad you did. Koan looks so beautiful."</p><p>They looked at the bride, clad in blue silk, and richly embroidered in gold and silver thread. Eos had caught her friend looking with some envy at the ethereal Elysian priestesses that had conducted the ceremony, brought specially to the capital for such an occasion, but it paled in comparison to the joy that was on her face now.</p><p>"I didn't think I'd ever get to see her like this," she whispered. "She thought she would never marry. She was so ready to accept that."</p><p>"Fear is a foe to defeat, not concede to," Diamond muttered. "They could have married earlier."</p><p>She nudged him softly. "They were scared of your reaction. I don't blame them for that fear. Do you?"</p><p>He let out a breath. "No."</p><p>"I'm afraid it's a common thing to fear the unknown," she continued. "And some never go away. You just decide to go ahead despite them. But sometimes, that's enough, don't you think?"</p><p>He turned to look at her. "Courage has its own rewards," he said. She nodded in agreement.</p><p>"There are things to look forward to. Things that could erase fear entirely," she murmured, sliding a hand over her abdomen, covered in layers of satin and silk.</p><p>"Hm," he replied, taking a sip of wine. </p><p>"Did I tell you that Hesperides is getting married to Hermos?" she asked brightly. "My family - including the two of us - have been invited. We haven't visited the village in awhile."</p><p>"Now, <em>there</em> is something to fear," Diamond muttered, prompting her to laugh again.</p><p>"Eos?" She looked up at the head table, where Sapphire and Koan sat. Her friend pressed her hands together and smiled. "Will you sing for us?" she asked.</p><p>"Of course," Eos said with a smile, approaching the musicians and sitting with them. "Any requests?"</p><p>Koan shrugged. "Whatever you like."</p><p>Eos bowed. Her song was new, her voice rising and falling as she sang of love, home and heart, and how wonderful it was to enjoy a romance. When she finished and returned to her seat, there was only silence, smiles and tears in the eyes of the guests.</p><p>Only Diamond moved to take her in his arms.</p><p>"Precisely," he said, "my Queen."</p>
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